Assignment #4
Due: Monday, April 14, 2014
Name: ______________________________________
On the other hand, the history of science tells us that, up to now, each time we thought that there was something "special" about the Earth or mankind, we later learned that that "special-ness" was an illusion. We now know that our planet is not the center of the Universe, or even of our solar system. This realization, the "Copernican Principle," jump-started modern science in the 16th and 17th centuries. The same principle has been borne out many times since, as we learned that we are not in the center of the Galaxy (in the 1920s) that the Universe has no center at all (in the 1950s and 60s). In other fields, it has parallels - for example, in the discovery in the 1990s that we share much of the same genetic code as most other creatures on Earth, and that other planetary systems appear to be quite common.
Do you consider the Copernican Principle to be in conflict with the Rare
Earth hypothesis? If so, does this make the Rare Earth hypothesis any less
scientific? Please explain your opinions. In doing so, you should look
through the following sources for more details and various opionions about
the Rare Earth idea. While most predate Kepler, as
you'll see, while Kepler is finding planets in habitable zones,
it has yet to find an Earth 'twin.'
List each factor in the equation and your adopted value, and be sure to write one or more sentences explaining why you chose the value you chose. For simplicity, lets assume that R*=3/year and fp=0.3 are not controversial. This way, you need only talk about ne, fl, fi, fc and L. With your estimates, compute your best guess at the value of N.